Lost a full day's pay on a 'quick' repointing job with the wrong mortar mix

Took a small job repointing a garden wall in Springfield last month, and the homeowner insisted on using a bag of pre-mix he already had. It was a type N mix, which is fine for general stuff, but this wall had some old, soft brick. The new mortar was way too hard and started to crack within a week, pulling moisture in. I had to go back, chip it all out (which took a whole day I couldn't bill for), and do it again with a softer lime-based mix. Anyone have a go-to mix ratio for old, crumbly brickwork to avoid this mess?

2 comments

2 Comments

keving938d ago

My last "quick" repointing job turned into a three day archaeology project. I chipped out more old mortar than a dentist pulls teeth. For that soft brick, I never go harder than a 1:2:9 mix, that's one part cement, two parts lime, nine parts sand. The lime lets it breathe and move. Anything stronger just fights the old brick and you lose every time.

ericjackson8d ago

I used to grab whatever mortar was on sale at the hardware store. After a job in Oak Park went just like this, I switched to that 1:2:9 mix and it's been perfect for old brick.